Abstract
Purpose :
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. It commonly leads to macular ischemic, macular edema and retinal neovascularisation. The pathogenesis is believed to be due to retinal microangiopathy. Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) allows for non-invasive imaging of the retinal vasculature especially at the macula. We aim to study the change in retinal vasculature on OCTA in the various stages of DR.
Methods :
In a prospective study, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) using AngioVue (Avanti RTVue XR, Optovue) was performed on 82 diabetic patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and 20 healthy controls. 3x 3mm macular scans were obtained and the vessel density parameters and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters were determined and analysed against the different stages of NPDR
Results :
82 diabetic patients (50% no NPDR; 16% mild NPDR; 27% moderate NPDR; 7% severe NPDR) were recruited and compared against 20 gender matched healthy controls. Mean FAZ sizes were significant larger in patients with NPDR compared to controls, in both superficial (0.280 mm2 vs 0.474 mm2, p<0.01) and deep capillary plexuses (0.347 mm2 vs 0.843 mm2, p<0.01). Retinal vessel densities in both superficial and deep capillary plexuses were significantly lower in patients with NPDR compared to controls (51.33% ± 2.32% vs 44.20% ± 4.76%, p<0.001). There was also progressive decline in vessel density with worsening severity of DR.
Conclusions :
FAZ sizes, superficial and deep capillary plexuses are correlated with the stages of diabetic retinopathy. This allows for more precise monitoring of diabetic retinal changes and may serve to further subtype or prognosticate diabetic retinopathy
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.